Possible 1st Porsche / 911 / 996 owner

Hi, I always liked Porsches (911s of course & also 944s) & I'm looking to buy my 1st Porsche 996 911. I've owned BMWs most of my life (E36 M3, E28M5, MCoupe, 335i, few E30s) & almost pulled a trigger on a 911 right before I eneded purchasing my previous MCoupe (got a good deal from a friend that was buying a 911 RS). I now drive a great condition E34 M5, E30 with a Euro E36 engine & E30 M3 underpinnings (beast of a car) & a 2nd lightly modified E30 with the stock engine. I'll be selling either the M5 or the highly modified E30 or both in order to offset the 911 purchase. I love both the M5 & the modded E30 but I see that now is the right time to get a 996 (hopefully I'll not regret it). A co-worker has a clean '99 C2 (IMS / RMS done) with around 42K miles that he's willing to let it go for $20k. I like the mods on the '02s & up so I've also been looking at C4S & Targas up to '04 but they go for more $ of course. We have two small children so having two (small) rear seats is the reason that I can justify the purchase to the SO. Thank you & hopefully I'll be joining the club soon.

I *love* your current stable. I always get a thrill out of driving my brother-in-law's E30 325is. Anyway, I just got my 996 this past June after mulling over a Porsche for many many years. I had the keychain since I was 21, and I'm 42 now LOL! I would say go for it, and get a coupe. Your current spousal unit will at least be okay with you being able to take both kiddies for a ride at the same time. That fact scored me points with mine. Good luck with your search. That is the most fun imo. Now that I have mine, I kind of miss the hunt.

Thank you Cope Cee, it is really exciting & can't wait to find the right car. The wife drives an X5 so she's happy with hers. The two that I was considering sold rather quickly because they were priced for a quick sale. The hunt continues & my co-worker's car is starting to appeal more & more for the price. Thoughts on this? Cheers.

Good luck with the search. IMO, if you like the more raw nature of e30's vs. e90's for example, ,you'll probably feel more comfortable with the '99-01 mk1 c2 models as they offer the same kind of raw, unrefined type of ride. On the other hand, if you're looking for more of a GT car to cruise in, you can't go wrong with the C4S as it's more refined and better manners. e30 m3, e46 touring, 2002tii owner here. Been through my fair share of bimmers in the past too. Your kids will have a lot of fun riding with you. Mine does all the time.

Hey Alpine003, I'm really that glad you brought up the raw nature point as I found my recent M package E90 335i LCI to be too sterile & sanitized. That's why it's gone. BTW, I love BMW tourings & my dream has been to build an E46 wagon with an S54 stuffed in it, M3 brakes transplant, etc. (ultimate sleeper, right?). Great Bimmer stable you have there, would love to see pics one day. What do you guys think of a '99 C2 with 42k miles for $20k? (IMS / RMS recently done). I appreciate the feedback!

Another longtime BMW owner here (E28 535is, E30 325e, E34 M5, E36 M3 x2, E46 M3) and I think $20K for a car with work done would be reasonable. I have only read about the early 996s and their raw driving feel, but it seems that would be consistent with what you're looking for. I wanted a C4S specifically because of the body, suspension, and brakes that it shares with the Turbo. Welcome and good luck!

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Price seems in the ball-park, and is a fair deal if the car's in great shape. You might be able to get some shaved off that price. There was a recent thread about what people paid for their cars, and prices were all over the place. But, 20K is certainly reasonable considering the mileage and IMSB replacement. Be sure to get verification of the IMSB replacement. I'm not meaning to imply that everyone should replace their IMSB. Simply, that if it was reportedly done, that it can be documented.

Thin Concrete - I'm also looking at C4s' for the same very reason that you had mentioned. It sets them apart from most other 911s & they look just "right". Cuda911 - He has the dealer receipts for the work done. Someone else is taking it through a PPI next wk so I'd have to make a quick decision on it. There are always other out there however. Thank you all.

Don't settle on a 911 that you're coworker has plenty of 911's out there so be picky.

For everything that i've been reading, the IMS / RMS replacement is a must on these cars correct? Thank you.

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We have both and they are great. With IMS/RMS done you're golden. $20k sounds about right, but ask in your "All state voice" is the the best you can do? lol.

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Yeah the reason why I still have my e46 is the same conclusion as you. Test drove a e90 touring when it came out and it was too sterile and muted for my tastes. x2. Also if you're used to the rwd nature of e30's, I would strongly suggest you test drive both c2 and c4 models. I chose the c2 as it is the closest in driving experience to the e30 that I've been accustomed to.

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That grass is too nice to park on!

IMS/RMS is not a must, but after you hang out here for a while you feel it is. There are plenty of cars riding with orignial IMSB's and no issues. But when you get bit by a bad IMS it sucks. $20,000 is a fair price if its the car you want. For $20ish you can find one with the options and color you want. For example, to me full leahter is a must. What options are on the car?

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No. You will get as many different opinions on this issues as there are members on RL. Read the IMSB sticky thread to educate yourself on this topic.

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I subscribe to the if it ain't broke don't fix it theory. Currently 78k on my 2002 Targa original IMS and clutch. Oil change every 6 months with DT40 I inspect filter and magnetic drain plug each time which thus far are spotless. Also had "Blackstone Labs" oil analysis done. I'll do the IMS when it needs a clutch or I detect something foreign in the filter.

Good luck with your search. If you don't pick up your co-workers, just wait for the right one to come up for you.

So the only options on my coworker's Carrera seems to be sport seats & traction control. Clutch, IMS & RMS recently done with OEM Porsche parts. Based on my research so far, $20k seems to be a decent deal for a clean '99 C2 with 42k miles? 3.6l C4s with similar miles & maintenance seem to run about $10k more. I like the looks of these better but for 50% more I don't feel that I get 50% more car for the $? Am I missing something? Thanks.

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If your coworkers car was done with all OEM parts then most likely he just got the IMS flange seal replaced and not the actual IMS. $20k is decent for '99 with 42k miles but you really should want it regardless if it's your coworkers car or not. It should have all the right color combo/options that you're looking for. Price aside, remember it's gotta suit your driving style/priorities as both(mk2 c4s, mk1) drive very different. If you haven't already, I would recommend driving both of them and that should definitely help you decide.

Thanks Alpine003, will do. I also noticed that it comes with 18" wheels & they look great on this car.

When I decided to buy my 1st P-car years ago, I set my max price @ $30K (car must be 02-up, under 70K miles). Then I searched for the car that had most of my WISH list. Take your time, do not settle....best of luck with the search.

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Most of the ones I know of came with 18's so not really a big deal unless you're Johnny Irish who prefers to "upgrade" to the 17" wheel option, lol. Also you'll notice it has the Brembo "option" as well. Lol. I get this question all the time from my non-Porscheaphile friends.

That seems like a good deal with those miles and recent maintenance. If the car was as torn a part as it would need to be to do an RMS and IMS then that would tell me that the mechanic got a good look at the underpinnings and mechanicals of the automobile while in there and should be good to go for a while. Sport seats are a phenomenal option and the 18 inch wheels are great too, at 20 grand I don't think you can beat it.

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Seems like the 17's were a little more common on low-optioned 996.1's. My 2000 had 17's when I bought it. I replaced them with 18" Sport Designs and kept the 17's for my snow tires. FWIW, the 18" wheels cost me about $1,000 so it's definitely something to keep an eye on unless a) you want the 17's anyway or b) you can work out a trade deal with a Johnny Irish think-alike (assuming one exists :-).

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Sounds like a great deal to me. Very low mileage with up to date maintenance and a few nice options. I always say a good independent PPI is a great investment in one of these cars because maintenance issues can get expensive. Best to know what you are getting into. If I am not mistaken, all '99s had the dual row IMSB. In that case there is no (or much less) worry.

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THAT is Blown Waaaaay out of Proportion! My 02' has 60k & i've Never had Either Done (i've also heard it's Less Likely to happen after the 60k miles). GL on your Decision!

I am currently in the market for a 996 (hey, first post ), and I think that is a pretty reasonable price for a '99 with that mileage and IMS done/known history. I am looking for a car just like what you have described with the right color and I have seen a number of cars that aren't all that great for one reason or another.

am i the only one that thinks 20k is a bit on the high side for a more or less base 99? imsb / rms service isnt a 4k value add. keep looking, you'll find a better deal. for 20k you should be in 3.6 mk2 territory.

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Based on the feedback from posters on RL, I would agree with you. But in my geographic area most sellers right now are asking numbers that are higher and some aren't very willing to negotiate. 996.1s I have looked at have been $20-22k, and the 996.2s we're above $26k. For what it's worth, these cars are all mostly still available too so maybe all the good deals are selling before I get to them.

I do really like 996.2 C4S' but I'd have to fork out at least an extra $7-9k+ for one based on what's I've seen in my area. I'm going to drive the '99 & decide from there.

So I briefly drove an '02 C4s & a '99 C2. The interior on the C4s was definitely nicer but the power on both did not "wow" me. My current E34 M5 with a D'Sylva chip feels just as fast on a straightaway (I know that the 996 will be faster on a tight course). So now I'm looking at 996 TTs & noticed that decent ones can be had in the low 30s.

Depending on the year, the E34 should be as fast on a straightaway - chipped, it should definitely be making more power than a stock 996, and the weight is only slightly greater. As with many Porsches, the 996 is not over powered. It's not a drag car, but ~300HP is sufficient for most folks' needs. If you want appreciably more power than the BMW, the Turbo is definitely the way to go.

I too have a history with BMWs having owned many over the years including an E30 touring I've had for many years (pic below) which has the M20 2.5l engine but has been modified with different cam, valves, manifold etc. I have also had various M3s and E36/46/90s. I also have several old and new Landrover Series 2s and Defenders. I now have a Z4M with the S54 engine and on a bit of a whim bought a 996 C4 as a companion to the Z4M. I'm imagining I'll use the 996 more in winter and the Z more in summer. The 996 is very different from the Z - much more compliant, slower but more graceful and much less of an animal - but so far I love it. I'm surprised how much I like the looks too - I'd never been a fan of 996s but now the looks are really growing on me. The engine is sublime, and the handling such a joy - even with the 4WD. There's a real old-school analogue feel to early 996s (mine is 2001) - and as a companion to your BMWs I'd definitely recommend one.

The E30 touring is GOLD!

I love the E30 touring OldFriedEgg996. You have a great stable of cars for almost every season & mood. I need to do a proper extended test drive on the C2 & also test drive a TT to check how do they compare. Thank you & happy motoring!